Representative Ann Marie Buerkle Tries to Slip Into Constitution Her Extreme Plan to Cut Medicare, Social Security in Order to Provide Tax Breaks for Millionaires

Buerkle Plan would Cost New York Thousands of Jobs

In poll after poll and in countless town halls back home, the public has overwhelmingly rejected House Republicans and Representative Ann Marie Buerkle’s budget to essentially end Medicare in order to pay for tax breaks for Big Oil companies and millionaires. On Tuesday night, Representative Buerkle doubled down by trying to slip into the constitution her extreme plan that would make severe cuts to Medicare and Social Security. The measure would also cost hundreds of thousands of jobs and keep unemployment high for years to come while protecting tax breaks for big oil and millionaires.

“The American people have overwhelmingly rejected Representative Ann Marie Buerkle and House Republicans’ extreme budget to essentially end Medicare in order to pay for tax breaks for millionaires,” said Ryan Rudominer, spokesman for the House Majority PAC. “Refusing to get the message, Buerkle tried to slip into the constitution an extreme plan that would cost thousands of New York jobs and make severe cuts to Medicare and Social Security while providing tax breaks for millionaires.”

Representative Buerkle has already been under fire back home for voting to end Medicare as we know it in order to protect billions in tax breaks for big oil and millionaires.

“Six months after taking office, U.S. Rep. Ann Marie Buerkle is facing the first mass protests of her congressional career over her vote for a Republican plan to cut spending by dramatically overhauling the federal Medicare program. Over the past three weeks, Buerkle said, she and her staff answered hundreds of phone calls from Central New Yorkers — including some from sobbing seniors — worried about the future of Medicare, the public health care system for the elderly and people with disabilities.

The freshman congresswoman also faced angry protesters at a town hall meeting in the Wayne County town of Palmyra this month, and later a raucous crowd rallied in front of her Syracuse office to protest the proposed reforms. [Post-Standard, 6/27/11]

The House Majority PAC has previously run an ad against Representative Buerkle for voting to essentially end Medicare in order to protect tax breaks for millionaires.

BACKGROUND

Buerkle Plan Would Keep Unemployment High for Extended Period of Time, Could Cost as many as 700,000 Jobs.

According to analysis for the Economic Policy Institute, a balanced budget amendment would severely cripple the rate of job recovery, and would keep unemployment levels high for year to come.

“If previously in effect or if implemented today, a BBA would depress our nascent recovery. This policy would deprive government of the ability to step in and act during a recession,” they wrote. [Economic Policy Institute, 6/22/11]

Though the measure ostensibly exempts Medicare and Social Security, a closer examination from the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities finds that “reaching and maintaining a balanced budget in the decade ahead while barring any tax increases would necessitate deep cuts in Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid.” [Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, 7/16/11]

In addition, the bill further enforces the Republican budget resolution by limiting total federal outlays – including Medicare – at the Republican budget’s percentage of GDP in fiscal years 2013 through 2021. Over the past 20 years, the consumer price index has consistently risen at a slower rate than the cost of health care, in effect forcing cuts to Medicare. [Cut, Cap and Balance Act, 7/15/11; Forbes, 4/09/11; Northern Trust, 4/08/11]

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